These days, it’s hard to simulate torpedoing a Russian submarine and not have it mean something. A Navy exercise beneath the Arctic Ocean this past weekend that did just that—shot simulated torpedoes at a simulated Russian Akula-class submarine—has taken on new geopolitical significance. The exercise, arranged before Russia’s annexation of Crimea, was intended as a show of U.S. force for the benefit of America’s allies, but it came as U.S.-Russian cooperation in the Arctic has come to a sudden halt.

Defense officials said they chose a Russian simulated sub as the target because that was the only other nation that operates in the Arctic, and stipulated that the exercise was not a signal that the U.S. sees military conflict on the horizon. But tensions between the two countries continue to proliferate, as more than 30 countries agreed to adopt guidelines improving nuclear security Tuesday—with the notable absence of Russia, which has large stockpiles of nuclear weapons. (Maarten Van Tartwijk and Carol E. Lee have more: http://on.wsj.com/1oZ8X8n)

President Barack Obama, in a move meant to reassure jittery U.S. allies in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, has also cautioned Russia that it would face a swift response if it encroaches on countries that belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Mr. Obama will meet with European Union and NATO leaders today to further plans to counter Moscow’s moves in Ukraine. Carol E. Lee and Naftali Bendavid report on NATO’s role in the standoff: http://on.wsj.com/1gmEmiT And Julian E. Barnes has the exclusive on Cold War echoes under the Arctic ice: http://on.wsj.com/1gnMZcT

–Rebecca Ballhaus

JERRY SEIB: AMERICA AND EUROPE PUNISH RUSSIA
President Obama solidified his stance with the European Union on enacting political and economics sanctions toward Russia. However, there is no sign that Russia will back down from Crimea or bend to punishments from the West. Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Seib analyzes the situation. VIDEO: http://on.wsj.com/1jHlpGq

NEIL KING’S BONUS EARLY HIT
Here’s a question that will be chewed over a lot as the two parties rumble toward 2016: Are young voters up for grabs? The youth vote not long ago appeared to belong to the Democratic Party, but that grip has weakened since Mr. Obama twice racked up huge margins among younger voters. Less clear is whether the GOP can pick up the slack. But be sure, both parties will pursue young voters aggressively. Read Neil King’s full post in Washington Wire: http://on.wsj.com/OTRiSS

WSJ STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS

ENROLLMENT DELAY: The Obama administration is extending the deadline to enroll for health insurance this year beyond Monday for certain people who have started but not completed their applications. The number of applicants that fit that description could be in the millions, and the move was widely anticipated. It wasn’t immediately clear how long the extension would last, and a handful of states that run their own exchanges have also decided to extend enrollment for those in the middle of the signup process. Louise Radnofsky reports: http://on.wsj.com/1mtPCgH

CONTRACEPTION CASE: The Supreme Court remains sharply divided on the question of whether companies are entitled to a religious exemption from providing emergency contraceptives in their employee health plans. The court’s three female justices, part of the court’s liberal wing, vigorously disputed the corporations’ claims that their religion entitled them to deny women employees contraceptive coverage. But other justices evinced varying levels of sympathy for the two companies. Jess Bravin reports: http://on.wsj.com/1p0baAk

UBER REGULATIONS: There have long been über Republicans. Now, there are Uber Republicans. The app-based taxi service is becoming an icon among Republicans, who are criticizing rules in cities from Miami to Washington, D.C., that make it difficult for the new service to compete against the taxi industry and other transport companies. GOP lawmakers are blasting such rules for stunting “innovation and competition,” as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio argued this week. Beth Reinhard reports: http://on.wsj.com/1mtDf4r

ALSO IN THE NEWS: The White House and congressional leaders are nearing a consensus on how to end the government’s mass collection of phone records: http://on.wsj.com/1p0pZ5X … House Republicans are showing little inclination to consider an extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed that is expected to pass the Senate as soon as this week: http://on.wsj.com/1dLyx9Q … Facebook made its second blockbuster acquisition of the year: Oculus VR Inc., a 20-month-old maker of virtual-reality goggles: http://on.wsj.com/1dLh9SH

–Compiled by Rebecca Ballhaus

WHAT WE’RE READING AROUND THE WEB

President Obama isn’t likely to find much happiness when he visits Saudi Arabia later this week, Aaron David Miller writes in National Interests. There, the Saudis have “the perception that Barack Obama has a view of the region in which the United States will play a less central role, leaving a vacuum for Iran, extremists of both Sunni and Shi’a varieties, and the migrating mess from an unresolved Israeli-Palestinian issue to fill.” http://bit.ly/OTRXDK

Despite the escalation of tensions over Ukraine, the Pew Research Center finds Americans more likely to describe Russia as a serious problem than an adversary, and just 6% think military options ought to be considered in response. http://bit.ly/OTRUYG

Erick Erickson of Redstate.com says that the Hobby Lobby case, in which the Supreme Court is to decide whether an employer can decide on religious grounds against providing contraception coverage to its employees, has helped show that there are two Americas, increasingly “divided by faith and lack of faith — or at least ignorance of faith.” http://bit.ly/OTRRMq

In the American Prospect, Harold Meyerson proposes eight ways to raise wages and strengthen the middle class, including linking corporate tax rates to CEO-employee pay ratios and mandating that workers be represented on a corporation’s supervisory board as they are in Germany, which has a manufacturing sector that’s proportionately almost twice as large as its U.S. counterpart. http://bit.ly/OTREJ8

Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Heidi Crebo-Rediker argues that state and local policy makers lack the expertise to use public-private partnerships for infrastructure investments and proposes that the federal government create an advisory unit under the Treasury Department, which already has experience with evaluating risk, financial structuring, and public debt management. http://on.cfr.org/OTRJfM

MILESTONESix in ten of the uninsured polled say they don’t know that March 31 is the deadline for most people to buy coverage for the year under the new health law if they want it, and also the date after which many of them will have to pay a penalty if they don’t have a plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s monthly tracking poll. http://on.wsj.com/1dv1Rae

FEEDBACK: Welcome to the new WashWire Daily Brief newsletter, the Journal’s morning rundown of the biggest news stories and exclusive features from Washington on politics, policy, financial regulation, defense and more. Send your tips, feedback and suggestions for recommended reading to editor Kate Milani at kate.milani@wsj.com.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.